Black Friday: All-time high for background checks

all-time one-day high for background check requests from gun buyers last Friday. There were 129,166 requests to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS)–a third more than the previous record of 97,848 on Black Friday 2008, FBI spokesman Stephen Fischer said. On Black Friday last year, there were 87,061 requests. This shows a huge jump from last year and, considering the calls for stringent checks after the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, poses a couple of questions. [caption id="attachment_1115" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="STR/AFP/Getty Images"][/caption] Namely, have checks become more of a requirement – hence the increase? Or is it simply the fact that more people are feeling the need to purchase a firearm? “It was the biggest rush we ever had. Some of the people at the gate sent their kid running to the gun counter to get in line,” said Tom Ritzer, store manager at MC Sports in Springfield, Mo., which opened its doors at 5 a.m. on Black Friday. Gun buyers had to wait until NICS opened at 7 before they could leave with their purchases, he said. Most people feel that the increase was caused by a variety of factors – the more stringent requirements surrounding checks, fear of terrorism, prisoners being released early and law enforcement being laid off just a few that were mentioned. But Caroline Brewer, a spokeswoman for the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, said the Black Friday sales surge “might say something about marketing” but didn’t reflect actual patterns in U.S. gun ownership. “The trend that has been observed for decades now is that fewer and fewer Americans own guns, but those who do own continue to add to their stock,” Brewer said. She cited the University of Chicago’s General Social Survey, which found that household gun ownership hit its peak in 1977, when 54 percent of American households reported having any guns. By 2010, this number had dropped to 32 percent. So it seems that the third of Americans that already own guns are likely to be the main reason for the surge on Black Friday. With the day being one of deals and discounts, it is the perfect opportunity to take advantage of by those who may be affected by the poor economy.]]>